Council previews forensic-audit findings; officials say auditors found no missing funds but cited control failures

Council spent substantive time on a draft forensic audit that, according to staff, documents persistent weaknesses in accounting controls — gaps in monthly close procedures, absent bank reconciliations and records management deficits dating back several years. Officials told the meeting that auditors identified deficient processes but that the draft did not find evidence of missing funds: "There was no fraud. There was no stealing or missing money," one administration speaker summarized.

Council members and residents asked for follow-up actions: finalize the report with annotations (particularly for ARPA and opioid-settlement bookkeeping adjustments), schedule a public review with the forensic team, and create a timeline for corrective actions including hiring or contracting for finance staff, quarterly CPA reviews, and cataloging capital-improvement priorities.